Champion Creed
Chapter 70 - 70 052 If you can fight fight; if you can't let me lead you to victory!

70: 052: If you can fight, fight; if you can’t, let me lead you to victory!

70: 052: If you can fight, fight; if you can’t, let me lead you to victory!

Chicago fans were drenched with a bucket of cold water; the Bulls had defeated their rivals, the Suns, who they faced in last season’s finals, yet they couldn’t handle their opponents in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks.

Scottie Pippen had achieved his wish of becoming the center of attention, but what everyone discussed were his clumsy attempts at one-on-ones.

According to The New York Times, “There’s nothing particularly wrong with Scottie; he’s just not strong enough.”

Chicago fans didn’t want to blame Pippen, although he took many reckless shots; at least he didn’t attempt a determined layup during garbage time.

He lost with some integrity.

Chicago fans couldn’t possibly blame Roger either, who only scored 15 points, given his few attempts today.

They couldn’t expect Roger to score more.

Who could they blame?

They could only blame the cruel fate that had claimed the life of James Jordan in a car accident.

Otherwise, Pat Riley wouldn’t dare speak to the Bulls in such a tone by now.

Remember the decisive battle in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals when Jordan, with his triple-double consisting of 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists, utterly banished the Knicks to oblivion.

By the end of that game, Pat Riley, the man who had forged the Showtime era, looked helpless and lost before the media for the first time as he said, “Feelings?

I don’t know, I don’t know.

At the end of the game, all I felt was Madison Square Garden seeming to sink.”

Back then, he was utterly terrified.

Now?

He’s gotten cocky.

Seeing his former subordinate so arrogantly has made the fans in Chicago realize that this team was different now.

Following this game, Chicago fans and the media began to truly miss that man.

They missed the man who had defeated the Knicks so thoroughly.

In this atmosphere, the topic “could Michael return” had heated up again.

Although his eye surgery went smoothly, the likelihood of Michael returning was slim.

Nonetheless, we needed to get used to the days without Michael.

Look on the bright side; at least we still had Roger.

— Chicago Post

The championship wasn’t hopeless, it just wasn’t as certain as when Michael was around; we can’t always live in the past glory.

— Chicago Tribune

Roger, though not on good terms with Jordan, didn’t mind Chicagoans reminiscing about that jerk.

However, one of those news articles reminiscing about Jordan made Roger furious.

Roger might be a gift bestowed upon us by the heavens, a consolation after Michael left.

But if the Bulls trade Roger to the White Sox for Michael, we could immediately become true champions.

I mean, Michael Jordan is irreplaceable.

Well, maybe Roger isn’t a gift.

Perhaps Michael intended to come back, but that elbow strike from Roger, shattering Michael’s orbital bone, turned all possibilities to dust.

— Chicago Sun-Times

Roger’s first impression of the Chicago Sun-Times was favourable, as Lacy Banks, the sportswriter, was the first local journalist who interviewed him.

But later on, the Chicago Sun-Times seemed to have cracked the code for traffic, continuously using Roger as a focal point for discussions.

When Roger and Pippen had a confrontation, it was this paper that first jumped on the story: “If the Bulls had acquired Anfernee, none of these troubles would exist.”

Now, they had to step on their own to elevate Jordan, even trying to portray themselves as the reason Michael would never return.

Roger had only known that some couldn’t write books without James, but this was the first time he realized some couldn’t write news without him.

He understood Chicago’s affection for Jordan, though in Roger’s eyes, Jordan was no different from those trashy leaders who enjoyed workplace bullying.

But he didn’t want to become the stepping stone under Jordan’s feet as portrayed by the media in their expressions of affection for Jordan.

The comments from the Sun-Times greatly annoyed Roger, but they did not affect his training status.

After the afternoon training session ended, Roger consistently didn’t go home.

He stayed at the training facility, continuing with his off-ball offensive training with the help of Abunassar.

The whole world now knew Roger as the league’s most dangerous one-on-one player, making his comfortable one-on-ones increasingly difficult.

Abunassar’s current task was to further enhance Roger’s off-ball offense, enabling him to seamlessly switch rhythms between with and without the ball.

Thus, Roger was forced to watch game tapes of Bird and Miller every day; Abunassar was just short of using a device from “A Clockwork Orange” to forcibly keep Roger’s eyelids open.

So much so that, never having met Bird in person, Roger would feel nauseous at the very sight of Bird’s face.

If it were 1984, Roger would have been more than willing to throw the punches that Dr.

J landed on Bird’s face.

Roger’s response wasn’t surprising.

Constantly watching movies with the same female teacher could make anyone crave a change of taste, let alone watching videos of two male teachers every day.

After watching the videos, exhausting practices followed.

Long-distance weaving runs, change of pace breaks, and extremely fatigued catch-and-shoot…

Offensive moves without the ball were not mastered overnight, but with Roger’s talent, well, with Iceman’s talent, Roger’s progress was still rapid.

After a rigorous set of off-ball offensive drills, Roger was so exhausted that he was completely depleted.

After training ended, as he was preparing to leave the Berto Center, he encountered a journalist: “Roger, I’m from the Chicago Sun-Times.”

Upon hearing the name of the newspaper, Roger didn’t want to deal with the journalist.

Noticing Roger was ignoring him, the journalist chased after him and shouted, asking, “Do you think there’s still a possibility for Michael to come back after you elbowed him in the eye?”

“None of your damn business.”

“Training so late, you’re trying to replace Michael, aren’t you?

The last time you broke his orbital bone, were you also trying to send that message?

But you know you can’t do it, you can’t even beat the Knicks like he did.”

Hearing this, Roger, who was about to get into his car, stopped and turned around to approach the journalist.

Abunassar knew Roger’s temper; he quickly followed, saying, “Young man, don’t be so rash!”

Abunassar was afraid Roger would hit the journalist, but Roger was obviously smarter than Artest.

At least he knew, in the NBA players can hit each other, but it’s best not to touch other people.

“About Michael, the only thing I can tell you is, stop dragging Michael Jordan’s stuff into this with me!

Moreover, without him, we still have a chance in the playoffs to beat the Knicks, I don’t need his protection!

Michael is a great player, but he’s not a god!”

Having said that, Roger got into the back seat of his own Mercedes S-Class, and Abunassar, acting as the driver, took Roger away from the Berto Center.

The next day, as expected, Roger’s rebellious statement spread across America.

Michael Jordan, as usual, didn’t like Roger; he gritted his teeth as he looked at the disrespectful words about himself in the newspaper.

Pat Riley didn’t take Roger seriously, thinking a rookie couldn’t shake his ironclad defense.

Another coach felt the same and even disdained rookies more than Pat Riley:

“Roger is still too immature, both mentally and technically.

If he played college basketball for two years, things would be different.

That kid says he can beat the Knicks without Michael?

Hahahaha, the East isn’t as easy as he thinks, let me tell you straight, the East isn’t Chicago’s backyard anymore.

In the next game, you’ll see.”

Larry Brown, in an interview before the game, adjusted his glasses, brimming with confidence for the upcoming game against the Bulls.

He really enjoyed teaching these arrogant rookies a lesson.

Before the game, the Zen Master only responded with one sentence: “Next game, I’ll unleash Roger’s offensive power.”

As for how, only Pippen knew.

Because just ten minutes earlier, a series of friendly conversations had taken place in the Bulls’ locker room.

At that time, the Zen Master approached Pippen, who had increased his shots and isolations since his comeback, and laid it out straight:

“Put away those senselessly increased isolations, Scottie, you’ve been attacking enough since your comeback.

Haven’t you seen it yet?

To win games, we need to focus on getting Roger the ball!

The offense has been too chaotic so far; now, we need to sort out our priorities on offense.”

Pippen of course knew he wasn’t the Zen Master’s main option, so he replied resentfully, “Too many?

I think I’m not shooting enough.”

Immediately after, Roger roared:

“Scottie, if you can play, then play, if not, let me lead you guys to win!

Maybe you like being toyed with by Pat Riley and Larry Brown as if they’re toying with strippers, but I sure as hell don’t!

Just because we don’t have MJ, should our whole team be treated like trash?

I’ve had enough!

Pat Riley, Larry Brown, and many coaches in the East, they all think they can mess with us just because we don’t have MJ, to hell with them!

We’ve reached the top three in the East not because of Michael, who’s busy signing autographs at baseball games!

We can handle those damn bastards ourselves and show them that the Bulls players, apart from Michael, also deserve respect!

Next game, we must win!

Scottie, do you have anything else to say?”

Pippen didn’t have any objections at the time because Roger had stirred up the entire team’s emotions; they were swearing and shouting to win back respect.

Most importantly, Pippen also saw Roger clench his fists again.

Whether Pippen admitted it or not, the fact was, Roger was leading the locker room!

This time, Roger personally demoted Scottie Pippen, marking an epic consolidation.

We’re full of confidence, not just against the Pacers, but also the Knicks, we all have the confidence to win!

— Toni Kukoc was incredibly excited during the interview.

Roger is an excellent young leader, I can’t say he has replaced MJ, but he certainly won’t let a feat like losing by 20 points in a single game happen again.

— Cartwright evaluated Roger.

Larry Brown suggested I play two years of college basketball?

That’s nice advice, next time don’t bother advising.

We’ll take down the Pacers.

Larry Brown uses Michael Jordan as an excuse to cover up his past failures.

And I will tear off his fig leaf and tell the world, his failures have nothing to do with Michael because even this 18-year-old rookie can make him fail.

He’s just downright incompetent.

— Roger answered the last question from the journalists before heading to Indianapolis.